


Skating Into My Life

by Melody55



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-13 22:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13580589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melody55/pseuds/Melody55
Summary: Jinx is a part of the Hive Skating Stadium, which is home to the Hive Hockey team and the Hive Skaters. What happens when the Olympic Skating Rink is burned down and the Titans are forced to practice at the Hive, even when the Hive and the Titans have never quite seen eye to eye?





	1. Welcome to the Hive

No one ever plans on these things to happen. No one plans on having a fallout with a longtime friend, or meeting a blue-eyed hockey player who they can’t get out of their minds. No one planned on the great Olympic Skating Rink burning down or the Titans to be stranded without an arena to practice in. No one ever planned on any of that to happen, yet it did. We weren’t even half way through our season when the building was left in ash. Mr. Blood, the owner of the Hive Skating Stadium, had struck a deal with Mr. Wayne, the owner of the Olympic Skating Rink, and the Titan Hockey team and Skaters were allowed to use our stadium until theirs was rebuilt.

None of us new of the deal at first. Not even I, the daughter of the Mr. Blood, had seen it coming. After all, my dad was cold hearted to most. A pure business man who only cared about the money. I wasn’t even supposed to know until he made an announcmemt to all of the others. The only reason I knew before anyone else was that I was staying late to practice my routine and overheard the deal being made. I had tried arguing with my father, since I knew that the feud between the Titans and the Hive would be too much, but he didn’t listen.

The next day, we all gathered on benches near the ice, skaters and hockey players alike, and he told us the news. While my teammates and friends all broke out in shock and anger, I stayed silent and tightened my jaw. Just as quickly as he came, my father left us to our practice day, and me to answer all the questions.

“Jinx, what the hell is he thinking?” Angel spoke first, Gizmo, Mammoth, Seymour, Wykyd and Billy right behind her. Her long black hair swung in its ponytail as she shook her head.

“I wish I knew.” I grumbled, rubbing my face. “I only found out last night after practice.”

“Did you try talking to him?” Gizmo’s voice squeaked. He was, by far, the youngest and smallest Hockey player we had, but he was good. He was the brains while Mammoth was the pure muscle of the team.   

“Of course, I tried talking to him,” I told them. “But, as always. He didn’t listen to me.”

“He does know that the Titans and Hive have been enemies since the beginning, right?” Seymour pointed out with a huff. I nodded.

“Well it didn’t help that all of you moronic boys went to pour salt on their ice and tee-pee them last week,” Kitty rolled her eyes as she joined us. As always, Fang, her boyfriend and hive hockey player, was behind her, scowling. They were as different as night and day, except for their attitudes. Though they were the classic cliche of the blonde, bitch cheerleader, and dark and brooding football payer.

“Well I think it’ll be a good experience,” Flamebird chirped by Kitty’s side. “Not all of them are that bad.”

“Of course, you think that way, little birdy?” Jade groaned, crossing her arms. “You did have a thing for that Garth Brookes before he started dating that Dollie girl.”

“Oh, like you’re one to talk,” Flamebird scoffed. “I seem to recall you not being able to take your eyes off a certain Roy Harper.” I rolled my eyes as Cheshire glared daggers at her. Along with them, everyone else had started to bicker about one thing or another. Closing my eyes tightly, I began to rub my temples, trying to drown them all out. I had enough to deal with being the Captain this year, I did not need my team, my friends, bickering over nothing.

“Enough,” I finally shouted, drawing all of their attention to me. “Look,” I sighed, “I know that it’s a messed- up situation, but we just have to deal with it. We can’t let this psych us out. We have a recital and a competition to get ready for. I know that four months may seem like a long time, but it’s just a second that’ll go by in the blink of an eye. And you guys,” I began eyeing all of the hockey players, “have a championship to win. Don’t let the Titans get in your head.” They all nodded, continuing to listen. “I know that this situation sucks and is far from ideal, but we have to work with it. We have to work with each other, as I know we have all done in the past. Let’s keep this Hive buzzing,” I finished. At first it was silent, then, one by one, grins began to stretch on their faces. Some nodded while others clapped, but all understood what I meant.

“Long Live the Hive,” Mammoth spoke up, making me proudly grin.

“Long Live the Hive,” I repeated. I looked around at all of the teens, skaters and hockey players alike. They all repeated the same words with pride, ‘Long Live the Hive.’

For as long as I could remember, the rink worked like a bee hive. There were always two captains that looked over everything, the second in command to the Blood king himself. This year, it was me and Mammoth. I was the speechmaker, the logical one, Mammoth was the brute strength that got people to do what he wanted. We all worked together, pointed out weaknesses and strengths in someone’s performance, whether in a routine or in a game. All of the skaters would show up to show support for the Hockey players, and vice versa for the hockey players at each performance. We all knew every term, from axels to passes. We were all competitive, but we were all a family. We knew each other on and off the rink, we hung out with each other and worked with each other. Our whole mentality ran on the idea that if one fails, we all do. We pushed ourselves, as well as everyone else to be the best that we could possibly be. To some, it might be strange, but to us, it was second nature.    

I looked around, taking all of the proud and strong emotions, the dedication and the pure passion. “Alright, skaters, let’s get on the ice. Baron, I think you have your own hockey speech to make to the guys,” I looked up at Mammoth, who only nodded with a grin plastered on his face and his arms crossed, trying to act tough.

The hockey players stayed on the benches while Mammoth gave them a pep talk, then they stretched. As for my skaters, we warmed up in the ice, dancing to some music that I put on. For a while, it was like nothing had ever happened. It was like the Titan’s rink had never burned down and there was no argument on whether to share a rink with them, or upset teenagers who protested the some-what kind act. For a while, it was nice to just be with my Hive. Then the doors swung open and, I swear that if this was a movie, the music would have stopped.  We all stopped in our places and looked at them. The first to enter was the Wayne prince himself, Dick Grayson, and on his arm was his girlfriend, Kory Andrews. Then, there was Victor Stone, Garfield Logan, Rachel Roth, Garth Brookes, and the rest of the Titan skaters and hockey players. My eyes scanned over each of them. Most I had known from competitions, like Joey Wilson and his sister, Rose, Crystal Weathers, Roy Harper, and Karen Beecher. But there was one that I didn’t recognize. He came in last but went straight next to Dick. He was as tall as Dick was, but with blazing red hair and freckles all over his face. His eyes were a cobalt blue that drew you in with just one look. I had to admit, he was really cute. I had to shake myself out of my thoughts as he looked over at me. ‘No distractions’ I told myself.

I quickly drew in a breath and looked over at Mammoth, who was already staring at me, as if to ask what to do. I nodded and we both made our way to the Titans.

“Welcome to the Hive Skating Stadium,” I began, pulling on my best welcoming face. “I’m guessing that you guys are here for practice, so feel free to stretch wherever you find room. Right now, the skaters have the rink. If your hockey players want to join Mammoth and the rest of the hive, they’re stretching right over there,” I gestured to the rest of the Hive hockey players, who all stood with their arms crossed, watching the interaction. And I didn’t miss the glare Mammoth was giving them either. “We have a few rooms over there if you all want to talk strategy or whatever. Bathrooms are out the doors and around the corner, and the main office is up there,” I gestured behind the Hive hockey team, where a flight of stairs wound up to the second floor, and my office. Sure, I didn’t own the place, but recently, if something came to the Hive Rink, it went through me, since my dad was usually out. “If you have any questions, please feel free to ask one of us.” I finished, ignoring the grumble that Mammoth let out. I’m guessing if they asked him any questions, he would ignore them or send him to someone else.

“That was a lovely speech,” Dick said with a fake smile. "But I think I’d be better for us all to practice separately.”

I straightened up slightly. Was he trying to get a reaction out of me? I only smiled and nodded. “If that’s what you want our skaters will be done in about a half hour, then the hockey players take over. I will happily keep the rink open for another two hours to let you all practice.” I finished politely, and Grayson just grinned. Kory tightened her arm around his and the others were waiting for what to do next. “If you’d like, you all can go pick out a locker in the locker rooms.” I gestured toward a hallway where the locker rooms were located.

“Seems fine," Grayson replied, looking over and nodding to the others to do just that. They all left, all except Grayson and the redhead. I was guessing they were close.

“Look, Grayson,” I started with a sigh, almost relaxing. “None of us want to start anything with you guys, and I know that none of us are happy about this arrangement. So, let’s just agree to all practice at different times, so we’re out of each other’s hair.”

“Fine with me,” he grinned, folding his arms across his chest.

“Thank you. Now, if you excuse me, I have some skaters to help.”

“Help?” the read head spoke, his voice smooth and deep.

“Yeah,” I quickly replied. “We here at Hive like to help each other reach our full potential.” He nodded but kept his eyes on me. After a moment of silence, I nodded to them and began to turn away.

“Oh, and Jess,” Grayson called toward me. I spun back on my heels to face them. “Congrats on being a captain, it’s impressive.” Though it was somewhat nice to say, the tone of his voice screamed sarcastic, so I simply put on a wide smile.

“Thanks, Grayson. And it’s even better that I was voted in, unlike you,” I snapped back, very lightly, but just enough to show my stinger. As I turned to walk away, I heard the read head chuckle and I could just imagine Grayson’s glare toward me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. They were on my turf, I had the power.


	2. Blood and History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not the best chapter i've written, but i still hope you guys like it. More chapters will come, and i promise they will be better. The main thing i wanted from this chapter was to show how busy Jinx was, and how strong she was. After all, no man saves Jinx.

For the first week or so, it was really easy. I would practice and plan out the recital list. Luckily, I didn’t have to plan their songs, since the skaters got to pick their own songs, but it was still alot to handle. I had to print tickets and flyers after picking a perfect date, I had to give them to everyone to help sell, I had to upload the date and everything onto the website, and pick my own song, on top of dealing with any problems that sprouted between the Hive and Titans.

And my stress didn’t stop when I left the rink. While in school, I would practice from five till eight, rush to class and go back to practice with the others at 5. On weekends, and some weekdays, I would have work to go, something that my father didn’t know about. Now, since I, along with some of the others, am a graduated senior, I only had to worry about practice and work. I barely, if ever had any time for just being with my friends. A few weeks after the Titans started coming to the Hive rink, I woke up with several loud ‘pings’ from my phone, and one long alarm. I groaned as I rolled over and turned off my alarm. I swiped my screen to see the messages that my friends had been sending me.

Today was our day off, so I had no doubt that my friends, mainly Angelica, were texting me about shopping, or the beach, or a water or amusement park. None of which I could go to. It was always nice to be invited places, but I always felt so bad when I had to decline.

“ _Oh, come on, Jess_ ” Angelica complained.

“Sorry, but I can’t, and you know why” I texted back. I mostly got sad emojis after that from everyone in our group chat, but no one forced anything, and no one asked. they didn’t have to. Everyone knew that I had to work, and everyone knew why.

Slipping out of bed, I pulled an all black dress from my closet and slipped on a pair of my knee high black boots. I loved black, but there were some days when I wished it wasn’t my uniform. Maybe i could add a little purple. After brushing my teeth and putting my hair in a soft bun, I grabbed my scarf, purse and jacket, and walked out the door.

At first, no one knew where I worked. Then, Angelica walked in to find a ring for herself, and soon enough, the whole team knew. At first, I was afraid that if someone knew, they would mention it around my father, but now, I knew that they wouldn’t do anything like it. Now, every once in a while, one or more of them would drop by and say ‘hi,’ maybe buy something to keep my manager off my back. I felt like today would be that kind of day. Especially since the Skating Ball would be in a few weeks and I knew that most for the girls would be shopping for dresses and accessories today. Happily, I already had all of my things planned and laid out.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed when I shut my car off.

“ _See you today_ ” Angelica messaged me. I rolled my eyes and got out of the car, locking it and walking toward the mall.

“ _Wouldn’t have it any other way_ ” I messaged back.

“ _Lunch?_ ” she asked.

“ _2:30_ ” I replied.

“ _I think I’ll be gone by then_ ” her first message said. “ _Mom wants me back before 3._ ”

“ _I understand_ ” I typed back. “ _Stop by and I’ll give you your stuff._ ”

“ _Jess, you didn’t have to_ ” she replied.

“ _I didn’t, Connor did_ ” I laughed. Right after I pressed send, my body ran into a hard and warm surface. I stumbled back, but an arm wrapped around my waist and steadied me. I looked up and quickly tore away.  

“Careful” he grinned.

“Todd, what the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

He laughed. “This is a public area,” he replied. His dark eyes tried to seduce me. He took in a breath and stepped away from me. “I have to say, Jess” he began, “my brother is really bothered by something that you’re doing. I like that.” He smirked and stepped toward me again, extending his arm as if to catch me. I rolled my eyes and stepped back, out of his reach. “C’mon Jess” he began. His chocolate eyes connected with mine. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“What’s wrong?” I repeated. “Maybe it’s that you cheated on me, made me feel like I was doing something wrong, then broke up with me the day of my competition,” I snapped. “Jason, I was there for you after the accident when no one else was. Then, you go and throw me away like I’m trash. I meant what I said the last time I saw you, I never want to see you again.” he chuckled and stepped toward me, trying to grab me again. I tore away. “No” I told him.

“Jess, _you_ were the one that got me kicked off the hockey team.” He snarled.

“Oh no” I chuckled. “That was all your doing. You became a threat to the Hive once you tried to rape me,” I snapped.

“It was a joke” he poorly lied.

“Not to Angelica. She spent two days in the hospital. You’re lucky that getting kicked off the team was the only thing that happened to you,” I shot back. I had had enough. I tried to push past him, but he caught my arm, glaring down at me.

“You listen to me-” he growled but he was cut off. I wished it was from me, though.

“Leave her alone” a familiar voice ordered. We both looked over to see Dick’s red-headed friend walking toward us. So now he’s trying to play the knight in shinning armor roll? I raised my brow, curious to what he was going to do.

“Or what, West?” Jason chuckled. Okay this was too masculine for me.

I rolled my eyes and spoke up. After all, no one saved me, but me. “It doesn’t matter because you’re going to let me go” I told Jason. He only looked down at me and laughed. “Alright, I’ll give you untill the count of three to release me.” I warned him. He still didn’t budge. Half of me thought he wanted to see what I would do. “One” I began. No movement. “Two” I continued. This time he shifted, but still held on to me. “Three” I finalized, grinning. Within a moment, I spun and brought Jason down to his knees, bending his arm behind his back with my other hand on his shoulder. I barely had time to see the shocked expression or the smile that the red-head had as I bent down and whispered in Jason’s ear. “Don’t ever touch me again” I ordered. "And if you hurt any of my friends again, I will personally hunt you down and beat you myself. Got it?” I questioned. He stayed silent. “Got it?” I questioned more sternly, bending his arm more. He groaned but agreed through his teeth. A grin crossed my lips as I let him go. He groaned again, probably stretching out his arms, but I didn’t care. I just picked my things up and made my way toward my long, long day. I almost expected him to follow me, curse at me or something, but he didn’t, and neither did the red-head.

A snail went faster than the first half of my day. The only fast part was when Angelica stopped by to pick up her packages; a locket that opened with angel wings, engraved with a simple ‘To the moon of my life’ on the back, and a simple, delicate bracelet of sterling silver and cubic zirconium. Thank the gods that Connor was there to catch the tears that swelled in her eyes. I don’t think I could have captured the moment better if I had tried.

“Thank you so much, Jess” Angelica said for the millionth time was her arms wrapped around me. I laughed, telling her it was all Connor’s idea.

“Yeah, but you were the one who made the necklace possible and got everything ready,” Connor’s deep voice brought up.

“Well I was happy to help” I told them. Angelica had made some comment about Jade starting to tease one of the Titan Hockey players again, Roy Harper, and how Baker had given Kitty yet another diamond necklace and how she had dragged him into the most expensive stores. I laughed, commenting on how Kitty had always been Baker’s princess. She was the only one to ever make him do something that he didn’t want to. He didn’t even listen to Mammoth or I at the rink. We continued to chat and laugh, luckily there weren’t a lot of customers and my manager, Rina, dealt with the ones that did come in. ‘There’s nothing else for me to do’ she had said.

Rina was usually a very laid back and happy person, but every once in a while, she would get in moods where she had to fake smiles to deal with customers. Today was one of those days. With every customer that came in, she plastered on that smile and made them feel welcome. I didn’t mind because it gave me more time to relax. But it was hard to concentrate when my eyes kept meeting a pair of blue eyes from across the mall. 

“Don’t let them bother you” Angelica had said, noticing that I was watching the group of Titans.

“I won’t” I told her.

“Good, now I gotta get home. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow?” she wondered. I shook my head and snapped my attention back to her again.

“Yeah, I have a lot to do” I told her. She nodded and gave me a hug before she and Connor left. I glanced back across the way, to the frozen yogurt place the Titans had been. They were gone, thank the gods. I sighed and went back to balancing the trays and cleaning the countertops.

An hour or so before my shift was supposed to end, I had become immersed in a conversation with Rina about her two kids and husband, the possibility of a man out there for me, and several other things. I laughed when she had suggested that I may have already met my perfect match. She suggested that I knew him, but our story had yet to begin. She called herself a fortune teller, but she was really a dreamer. I watched as her eyes looked over my shoulder, toward the entrance of the store. Her smile was plastered on her face once again. She welcomed the customers, but went straight to her computer, finishing up the schedule for the next few weeks. I rolled my eyes and began to turn around myself.

“Hi, welcome to-” I froze as I stared at three of the Titan girls, Kory, Rachel and Karen, the main three.

“Save it” Kory interrupted.

“Uh-okay” I blinked, “How can I help you today?” I asked, going over the script.

“You can stay away from Wally” she snapped.

“Who?” I laughed. I had an idea who they meant, but I wasn’t too sure.

“Wally West” Karen voiced. “The red-head that you have somehow wrapped your tentacles around.” I laughed again. “What’s so funny?” she snapped, appalled that I would laugh at her.

“Sorry, it’s just, I haven’t even really met him, so how have I wrapped my tentacles around him?”

“Somehow” Rachel answered. “He seems very taken by you.”

“Well then that has nothing to do with what I have or haven’t done to him.” I told them. “And who are you to really go around telling people who they can and cannot see? Not that I would want to.” I added.

“Just stay away from him” Kory ordered.

I scoffed. “I’m sorry, Kory, if I have upset any of you, but I haven’t done anything to your friend. You may be Dick’s little princess, but you cannot tell people what to do. Now, if you three aren’t going to buy anything, or will continue to harass me, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave. And if you don’t, I can call security.” Kory gasped, obviously offended that I would dare threaten her or her rein.    

With a groan, and a comment about why the red head liked me, which I doubted, the three left and I turned back to my work. Rina tried to get me to talk about it, commenting on how Kory was such a good and sweet customer, and that she was shocked that the three had acted like they did.

I simply replied, “They’re Titans and I’m Hive, it’s what we do.” She seemed understand since she dropped the conversation. She didn’t say anything that wasn’t about work for the rest of the day, which I was glad for. Pretty soon, we closed up and went our separate ways for the night, though it couldn’t be that easy for me, could it? Right as I walked out of the mall, he was waiting for me.

“Hey,” he called after me. “Hey, I’m sorry about the girls” he offered, I rolled my eyes and kept going.

“I thought you were supposed to stay away from me” I called over my shoulder.

I heard him laugh. “I value Kory’s opinion, but I don’t take orders from her.”

“Won’t that make her angry” I laughed, reaching my car.

“Don’t care” he caught up to me.

“And why is that?” I asked. He shrugged. “Well, when you figure it out, tell me” I laughed, hopping into my car. “See you at practice tomorrow” I told him as I closed my door and started my car. He seemed to get the point since he stepped away and let me drive off.


	3. Roses and Songs

I could lie and say that what Kory and the others said didn’t shake me up, but it did, and I didn’t know why. I knew that I hated when people told me what to do, and I knew I hated spoiled rich princesses who think they rule everything. I only have room for one of those in my life without going crazy, and that spot was already filled by Kitty. Ever since I had met them, they had this idea that I was the devil’s daughter. And, to some, I may be, but there was always a reason for them to fear me; something that I did to them personally. I had done nothing to any of them, yet I was already on their black list. Usually, I could just brush it aside, but now, I couldn’t. Not when I literally had to share a rink with them. And to use the red-head as an excuse to torment me was pathetic. There was no way that what they said was true. He didn’t know me, any of me, so how could he be “taken” with me? I scoffed at the thought.

Luckily, I had things to keep my mind off of it. Sadly, those were things that were equally as stressful. For example, I know it seemed ridiculous, but my hand was shaking around a pristine letter that was just delivered to me. The competition’s announcer had just made a stop by and given me the “challenge of the year,” or the theme of the competition. One year, it was a love song, the other was country, another was 80’s themes, and another was all instrumental. My mind racked on what this years was going to be. Whatever it was, it had the power to make or break a team. I bit my lip, my fingers going over the calligraphy word that was written on the back. One simple word, Hive. I drew in a shaking breath, thanking myself for being in the office when the announcer came. Carefully, I slipped my finger in the crease, tearing the seal. The paper slid easily out of it’s home and stretched as I unfolded it. My eyes scanned the words, most of which I already knew.

 

            _Dear Hive skaters,_

_We are pleased to welcome you to this year’s competition blah blah blah. As you know, blah blah blah, themes can be a challenge for teams, blah blah blah. Therefore, we are please to announce that this year’s theme will be Musicals._

My eyes widened, and I let out a single laugh. ‘What?’ I thought to myself. I read on.

 

  _This year, we will not need for you to send in your song list for an approval, since we have chosen specific musicals for each team. We have selected The Greatest Showman and Wicked to be the two musicals for the Hive. Choose your songs wisely and have your song choices in a week before the show. Good luck to all!_

_-The Board of Competitive Skating_

 

I blinked multiple times, read the letter over and over until my head hurt. I read it out loud and in my head. The Board had never done a theme like this, and they gave us such a small list of things, but I guess that was the point, keeping us on our toes.

The chatter from downstairs became louder, signaling that my team was here, ready to practice. Folding the paper back up, holding it tightly in my hand, sighed and walked to the door. I stepped out into the cold rink, the chatter growing louder. I slightly smiled down at my friends, my feet making their way down the steps, rounding the corner and drawing the attention of most of my team. The rest silenced when they say the others watching me.

“So, what’s the theme for this competition?” Kitty excitedly asked, practically jumping in her seat.

I let out a heavy sigh, my smile dropping. “Musicals” I simply said. I looked around to see expressions of shock and confusion. “Specifically, for us, _The Greatest Showman_ and _Wicked_. We have to pick a song from one of those two,” I finished, welcoming the silence that filled the room.

“They’re making us do musical songs?” Cheshire sneered, breaking the awkwardness and shock. “Why?”

“Maybe to test us, get us out of our element” I answered. “I really don’t know. But I do know that, whatever songs we pick, we will rock at. I know it’ll be tricky, but I know we can do it. I know that you all will have amazing songs picked out next week and an even more amazing routine to go with it for the competition.” I paused, everyone had their eyes on me. “Now go, and think of the gold” I smirked, “Because there is no way in hell that anyone is going to beat us this year.” I finished and they all had smirks and smiles on their faces, proud expressions, happy ones, excited and determined looks all over their faces. Some started to hoot and holler, some laughed like I did. I couldn’t help but smile as they all jumped from their seats and filed onto, one by one.

Once the last was on the ice, i turned and went back to my office, making an excuse of paperwork, when Angel asked. When the door to my office was finally closed, my smile dropped, and my eyes looked down at the letter. Sure, I was excited and determined, but I was as nervous as ever. My hand clenched around the paper and my jaw tightened. I couldn’t let this year end like the last. I couldn’t let them down again. No after the previous year. My jaw clenched at the memory, the pain of my blade across my hand, the hard ice bruising my legs in the fall, the shiver that ran down my spine as my back crashed against the ice, the disappointed look in my father’s eyes as he watched it all. A single tear threatened to spill from my eye, both when I was on the ice and now. I bit my lip and set the paper on the table, letting out one more shaking breath as I lifted my head. My eyes widened to see a pair of green eyes watching me. My eyes narrowed at the petite blonde that stood on the other side of the door.

Keeping my eyes on her, opened tot door and told her to come in. She was a Titan. For the past two years, she had been a Titan with her brother. “Rose," I breathed out. "What can I help you with?” I asked, leaning in the desk as she sat on the chair in front of me. 

I had watched Rose when she skated. She was a strong dancer, very talented. But I noticed that she had been pushed down by Kory and the others. Looking at her now, as she mustered up her courage and walked over to my desk, she didn't seem like she had the strength of her father or eldest brother, but the sweetness of her other brother, Joey.

Her hands rested in her lap and her eyes were lowered to the ground. With a deep breath in, she snapped her eyes up and met mine.  _Oh, she was definitely a Wilson_ , I thought to myself. “I want to join the Hive,” she simply put it. My head jerked back and my mouth opened to say something, but she stopped me. “I’ve seen you guys out on the rink- and, you’re really good. And I’ve seen you at practice. You help each other and- you’re a family. I want that.”

My brows raised. “And you don’t have that as a Titan?” a small laugh came out of my lips. She shook her head. “I thought you all were tight, like a family of your own.”

“We are,” she quickly replied, making me more confused. “That is, most of us are.” She paused. “I’m the youngest there and- since the scandal about my father came out, everyone looks at me differently. They’ve known Joey for a long time, so they trust him. But- I’m new, and apparently having a brother on the team doesn’t count as respect or trust.” I nodded. I had wondered how she and her brother were doing after their father and older brother were caught dealing weapons and drugs. It was a big scandal since they were one of the biggest families in the city. And I felt for her. My dad, blood related or not, was seen as a schemer, cheat, thief, and so many other things. So, I was those as well, according to the people of the city. Only a few people knew me for who I was, and they were all in the Hive.

“Does your brother know you’re doing this?” I asked. She nodded.

“It was his idea” she softly said. "I had been thinking about it for a while, leaving the Titans that is. He was just the one who pushed me and convinced me not to quit completely."

I took in a deep breath and smiled, remembering the countless times he and Kole had helped me at a competition, whether it be to patch up a wound like last year, or fix my hair or outfit. “Typical Joey,” I laughed. Her eyes shot up at me in an almost glare. “He always looks out for others, no matter what it does to him.” Her eyes lightened as a smile spread across her face. There was a moment between us, silent, but content. My mind racked over what to do. I knew I had to help her, but what would the others think? We already had our seven competition spots filled, we couldn’t have more. If anything, she would have to pair up with someone. But who? A smile flicked across my lips as I thought of the perfect person. “Okay,” I told her, making her worrying heart smile. “But, for the competition, we have to pair you up with someone. I just don’t know how she’s going to feel about getting a solo yanked away from her,” I joked, though it wasn’t much of one. Terra always loved doing her solos. She said they were more fun and freeing. Taking one away from her was asking for danger.

As if reading my thoughts, the door opened, and Terra walked in, carefully. My brow raised as I watched her, my arms linking over my chest. “Sorry to bother you, but- uh, I already told her that she could-”

“Team up with you?” I finished it off with a question. She nodded cautiously. I laughed. “Good because you’re exactly who I was thinking of.” They both stared at me wide eyed. I shrugged. “I’ve been doing this long enough to see who would make good partners,” I told them. “Now, both of you, go and pick your song.” They both nodded and turned to leave. “And Terra” I stopped her with a simple call. She turned, worry on her face. “Don’t go behind my back again” I warned. With a laugh, she saluted, and I rolled my eyes, following them out. I stopped at the top of the steps, overlooking my friends as they slid across the ice or ran back and forth for warm ups, or even talked to one another about song choices and dance moves. My hands rested on the banister and I smiled. Nothing was going to stop us.

Looking around more, I caught sight of the Titans on the other side of the rink. My smile dropped as I saw the bird boy and his starlight queen glaring at me, as well as the Queen Bee and some of the others. Joey, however, sent me a thankful smile, and though I could see Kole was sad at the loss, she sent a smile to me too. Funny that they were the only ones who really gave any happy or content emotion. The others tried to burn holes in my skin with their venomous looks. But, with all the eyes that were on me, I couldn’t help but notice the absence of the red-head. Where was he?

I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. I turned and went down the stairs, just as the Titans were all finished packing up. Some tried to come toward us, but I stopped them, walking straight past my team with determination in my eyes. Kory, Karen and Rachel were the first to approach me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Karen laughed. “Are you that desperate for a good skater that you’re stealing ours?” she laughed again. “Well jokes on you, because she’s not even our best.” I smiled at her.

“I’ve seen her skate and I have to say, she’s way better than you were at her age” I shot back. “And if any of you had seen that, maybe she wouldn’t have come to us.”

“The little traitor deserves a team like yours” Kory shot back. I only laughed.

“Just wait till the competition, she’s gonna choke, just like you did last year, and you’re gonna lose,” Rachel chimed in. My smirk faded, and my jaw tightened. I was about to say something when a voice interrupted me.

“Rachel, Kory, Karen, lever her alone,” a tenor’s voice told them. “Rose chose who she wanted to be with, let it be. It wasn’t Jessica’s fault.” The girls curled their lips and turned on their heels toward the voice.

“Wally’s right,” bird-boy’s voice came as he wrapped an arm around Kory’s waist. “Though we may hate how she stole Rose from us, she’s also not worth fighting with.” I let out a laugh and Wally seemed to give Grayson a menacing look. “Let’s go,” he said, allowing the girls to follow him, but Wally, the red-headed boy, stayed and shook his head.

“I’m sorry for them” he told me.

I shrugged “Nothing they can say will hurt me” I let out a small laugh. “They never have.” I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm.

“Wait, I-” my brows raised at him and he dropped my arm. “I wanted to say thanks for Rose. Joey, Kole and I all know how hard it’s been for her and- I think she’ll be better with you guys. Just- don’t make the same mistakes that they did. Don’t let her be alone.” A small smile tugged at my lips. So, there was a Titan who cared for someone other than himself.

“Don’t worry” I told him. “I know what she’s going through and I won’t let her go through it alone. None of us in the Hive will. After all, we are a team and a family.” I told him once again before leaving him standing there, watching me.

“Also, I wanted to say that I was sorry for how the girls acted when you were at work. They were out of line and-”

“And you don’t speak for them” I interrupted. “Look” I sighed, “It’s not your fault that they hate my guts for no apparent reason, and treat my team like shit. You didn’t control what came out of their mouths. I don’t even think that they could control themselves. So, you don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault.” He slowly nodded. “Besides” I ginned, “No one tells me what to do.”

“Yeah, I think I got that from when you took down Jason” he laughed. “He had it coming, I have to admit that.”

“Oh, you have no idea” I rolled my eyes. Jason deserved a lot more than the pain I gave him. He deserved to be in jail for what he tried to do, what he did do.

“So, what’s with the bad blood there?” he curiously asked. “I mean, Jason is an asshole, but it seemed more personal to you.”

“Long story” I sighed.

“Maybe I could hear it sometime” he wondered, drawing a small smile to my face. Traitorous lips and cheeks. For a moment, I allowed my eyes to flick down to his lips. For a moment, I wondered what it would be like to kiss them. But it was only a moment. “Well, you probably have practice to get to” he rubbed the back of his neck, showing off his muscles. I gulped and nodded.

“Yeah, uh, see you later, Red” I threw in the nick name. He grinned, and I let out a heavy breath as we walked our separate ways.

As I reached my friends, I let out the breath that I didn’t know I was holding and smiled at them. “You okay, Jess?” Mammoth asked, his eyes flicking between the red head and me. I nodded.

“You know me” I began, “Always strong, never weak.” He nodded, though we both knew I had been weak before, on multiple occasions.

“Don’t let them get to you, Jinx” Cheshire told me, making me grin.

“Yeah, they’re just a bunch of pit-sniffers” Gizmo’s voice squeaked. I laughed and nodded.

“The sharpest words can’t cut me down” I laughed. “I- we, are too strong for them.”

“Damn straight” Terra laughed. “May the Hive be victorious.”


	4. Questions and Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song= Find My Way Back  
> Artist= Eric Arjes

I thought about that day, that moment, each time I saw him through the glass windows of my office as he played with his team. He was quick, strong, smooth with his moves. Every once in a while, during a break, our eyes would meet, and he would send me a quick smirk before Dick would pull them all back into practice. The glares from the others never stopped. Each time I helped coach Rose, I could hear the scoffs and practically see the rolling of eyes that came from them. On a few occasions, Joey would slide up next to me, watching me and his little sister. And if he ever wanted to tell me something, Kole had to translate, which I never minded.

A week after she became a Hive member, I could see the major improvements. She looked more free and relaxed, not tense like she was as a Titan. I think it had something to do with how we would never condescend her or make fun of her if she fell or did something wrong, we would just help her. I watched as she landed flip after flip. I bit my lip as she prepped for her double lutz. My breath got sucked into my lungs as she took off. My feet began to move toward her when she landed wrong and fell, sliding on the ice. I heard her hiss as she grabbed her ankle.

“You okay?” I asked, easily sliding next to her.

“Yeah” she replied. I held my hand out for her and she took it, trying to stand. She groaned as she fell again, unable to hold her weight. I sighed and knelt beside her, taking her ankle in my hands and examining it. I pressed on a few points lightly. Some made her hiss, but I was happy, nothing was broken or twisted too badly.

“It’s just a minor twist” I told her as I felt Joey slide up next to us. I glanced at him and he nodded, helping his little sister up. “Go home and ice it. It should be better after some rest. Just don’t do anything stupid” I wagged my finger jokingly at her.

“No promises” she laughed as Joey helped her glide away. I looked at the clock, 8:30. I still had an hour or so before I had to close. I glanced at the open stadium doors, a frozen red-head in its way, water bottle in one hand and his duffel bag in the other. He was looking straight at me. When I flashed a small smile, he didn’t grin or put on his confident look, he just stared. It was odd. Soon enough, Dick had grabbed his arm and had thrown him out of his trance. I quickly looked down at my phone, flipping through a few texts and moving onto my playlist.

“See you tomorrow” I heard Rose’s voice. When I looked up, I gave her a nod and smile. I sighed as the doors closed. My eyes wandered around empty stadium. I smiled at the silence.   

I always loved my alone time. It was the time for me to truly let go and forget about how much I had to deal with, whether it be tests, a competition, or any drama. It was a time I could forget about the tensions between the Titans and the Hive, and how the Titans all just assumed that we were thieves and bad people. It was a time where I could ignore the pounding in my chest whenever I so much as looked at the red head, his blue eyes catching me in his trap. About how I tried to stay strong, but my legs always felt weak when he smiled toward me. All of those things were wiped from my mind once I stepped onto the ice, just a few random songs playing one after the other. I would lose myself in each, really allowing myself to feel what the singer felt, whether anger, love or sadness. At first, that’s all it was, random songs from my playlist. Then, the first notes of one of my favorite songs came on and I could feel the energy bubbling inside of me.

 

_One step closer, Closer to the light_

_No matter where we're going, I'll be by your side_

_And everything we used to know, Crashed into the great unknown_

_One step closer, We're gonna be alright_

 

At first, the song was slow, a few instrumental moments that put a smile on my face. Then, it picked up and my heart soared.

 

_Cause even underneath the waves, I'll be holding on to you_

_And even if you slip away, I'll be there to fall into the dark_

_To chase your heart, No distance could ever tear us apart_

_There's nothing that I wouldn't do, I'll find my way back to you_

 

As soon as it picked up, I started doing jumps and flips, my feet listing off the smooth ice as I broke through the icy rink air. It didn’t take long for me to completely loose myself within the music, my eyes slowly shutting as I did axels and lutzs. And I didn’t have to worry about bumping into any walls since I knew the rink inside and out. I knew how many long and short strides it took to get from one end to the other, I knew where each scratch was on the glass and every dent was in the ice. I could feel when I got to the center turned and dashed before I ran into the wall. It was my home, the only place I felt truly free.

The song faded, and I stood on the middle of the rink. I exhaled deeply, slowly opening my eyes again. I waited for the next song to play, a fast song that I knew would keep my heart rate up, but it never came. Knitting my brows together, I spun toward the benches and the music player, only to find a pair of blue eyes watching me as the owner leaned on the side of the entrance, his arms folded across his chest.

‘No fear’ I could hear my father’s voice remind me. Quickly, I snapped myself out of my trance and glided toward him with the intention of putting my music back on. But it never works out that way.

“Didn’t your mom ever tell you that it’s rude to stare?” I grinned, sliding past him.

“She also told me to admire and appreciate beauty,” he flirted.

I rolled my eyes, as if his comment had no effect on me. “Did you forget something, Wally?” I changed the subject.

He smiled holding up a water bottle with the Titan’s logo on it and a yellow lighting mark on it. “My bottle,” he grinned.

I shook my head, knowing that he was lying. I had watched him walk out with it in one hand and his bag in the other. “Well you have it now,” I pointed out, my eyes flipping through my music, “So why are you still here? You trying to spy on me for your team?” I suggested, but he shook his head, a grin on his soft lips.

“Just wanted to talk to you” he shrugged.

“About?” I questioned. My finger hovered over the song I wanted, but it wouldn’t click it.

“Us,” he blurted out. I froze, and my eyes shot up to meet his.

“Us?” I coughed. “What, Us?”

“Hopefully, the future us?” he said, stepping closer to me. If it wasn’t so cold in here, I swear, I would feel his warmth surrounding me. “I wanted to ask you out on a date.” My heart leapt for some reason. A smile cracked onto my lips before I clicked out of my music app and unplugged it from the CD player. In that moment, I decided that my practice was over. Within the silence, I had tucked my phone into my jacket pocket and walked to my bag, beginning to take my shoes off, pondering the possibility of s being together. He was cute, but I couldn’t.

“Wally, I can’t,” I finally said.

“Because of my friends?” he wondered. I shook my head. “Then why?”

“Personal reasons,” I told him partially. My mind flashed to my relationship with Jason. It had started out all sweet and innocent, then, after his accident, it turned dangerous and abusive. He was supposed to be the piece that brought the Hive and Titans to peace. he was supposed to make both sides see reason, but he didn't. instead, he caused more trouble. And he wasn't even the first attempt. in my young and innocent years, I had fallen for another one of them. Victor Stone was new on the scene, none of us had even guessed that he was selling u out to the Titans. He was supposed to be one of us. He even got closer to me, used me to get info on both teams. By the end of the season, he had gained what he needed, and threw us, threw me to the side. My heart had been broken too many times. One more time and I don’t think I could bear it. “I have so much going on right now between my work, the recital, the competition, and getting ready for college. I just- I can’t afford to be with someone right now.” What I said was only partially true.

“You have a job and I have an internship,” he pointed out. “We both have practices, but I- I still want to try.” He was definitely persistent.

“You’re a Titan and I’m a Hive,” I pointed out, wanting to see how far he would fight, if I was worth enough to him. There was some part of me that hoped he would.

He scoffed. “What does that even mean?”

“My dad is Sebastian Blood, a ruthless CEO and terrorizing man.” I added. He leaned closer, our lips mere inches apart. “There’s a reason everyone listens to me,” I whispered. His grin dropped, and he leaned back. He was afraid, like everyone else. I gulped, my hands griping the bottom of the bench. The tingling in my cheeks faded, but only for a few seconds. Then, his damn lips began to spread into a grin again and his eyes softened. He chuckled.

“Yeah, because you’re an amazing and strong leader. And, you know your stuff,” he argued. The tingling in my cheeks numbed and my lips parted in a silent gasp. “All I’m asking is for one chance. Let me take you out to coffee or ice cream. I found a great cream shop that I’ve been wanting to try. Maybe, if everything goes well, I can take you out to dinner too,” his voice vibrated.

“Wally,” I sighed, willing myself to turn away. I could hear- feel- him step away, slipping his hands in his pockets as I stood from my seat and slung my bag across my shoulder. "I can't."

Knowing that none of our teammates would be anywhere near the rink, Wally slipped next to me. Before I walked out, locking the door behind me, I turned off the lights and scanned the arena one more time, making sure everything was done. I hummed happily as the warm night air kissed my cheeks. I could feel Wally’s eyes on me and I smiled, looking toward him. “What?” I asked.

He shrugged. “You just seem happier now than when you’re around the others.”

“I love my friends, but I also love my alone time. It’s the only time I can really free my mind of everything and let loose.” Those were both true, but it was also a time where I knew I wouldn't be hurt.

“Is that why you only do solos?” he questioned. I stopped in my tracks, slowly turning toward him.

“How did you know-” I trailed off.

His eyes widened, catching his mistake. I raised my brow and leaned to one side and folding my arms. “I-uh, I may have been to some of your competitions” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

“How many is some?” I asked, folding my arms.

“Dick may have dragged me to one of the competitions when he was still trying to woo Kory,” he sighed defeatedly.     

“So, three years?” my jaw dropped.

“Yeah” he trailed off. “I-uh, watched your performances and couldn’t keep my eyes off of you. I went to every performance after that.”

“A little stalker-ish, don’t you think?” I joked. He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I see it as more of- me wanting to get to know you more.” I blushed, sending a stray hair behind my ear. “And after watching you with Rose and seeing how strong you are, how witty and gorgeous you are up close as well as on the rink- I want to get to know you even more.” My eyes shot up to him. Did he really just say that? Did he really just say that he thought I was gorgeous? I smiled. I liked how forward he was. I could tell he was telling the truth, and I liked how he laid all his cards on the table. There was still mystery to him, but there was no BS. I don' know how l, but I could tell that he wouldn't hurt me, not like the others.

“Okay,” I greed, “But no one can know. Not yet at least.”

His face lit up. “You afraid of what your friends might say?” he asked. I shook my head.

“It was your friends that threatened me, remember?” I pointed out. “Mine might protest a bit, but, at the end of the day, they’ll be happy if I am.”

He nodded. “Understandable, and I think it’ll be a good idea to keep it from them for a while.”

I quirked my brow. “I thought you didn’t care about the feud?”

“I don’t, but I also don’t want to hear Dick giving me a lecture about the feud and how bad he thinks you would be for me.” He let out a soft chuckle.

I nodded, tying my skating laces together and putting my skates in my bag. “Then I guess I’ll see you on Friday” I winked at him, turning to walk away.

I couldn’t help but giggle as my car door closed. Maybe this year would be better than I thought.


End file.
